A Thief of Nightshade(29)
“I’m sorry, Jullian.” She closed her eyes.
Aubrey hadn’t expected to wake up. She’d taken four times the amount necessary to end her life.
“Aubrey, are you awake?” Grant asked hoarsely. He sounded tired.
The light hurt her head, but she forced her eyes open anyway. Grant’s face was the first thing she saw. He looked angry.
“Accidental overdose,” he said in a harsh whisper. “That’s what we’ve told the media. I’d love to believe that myself, but we all know better. What the hell were you thinking?”
She struggled to sit up. When she did, she saw Jullian slouched asleep in a chair in the corner. His face was streaked with tears, his eyes puffy.
“You’re lucky he got up to take a piss.” Grant looked at Jullian for a long moment before turning his gaze back to Aubrey and softening his tone. “Why didn’t you call me? You told me once that if you ever felt this way again, you’d call me. Do you remember that?”
“I don’t deserve...” Aubrey trailed off. She wanted to tell Grant why she’d done it, but simply didn’t know how.
When she couldn’t get the words out, she rolled onto her side, away from Jullian.
Grant lowered to see her eye-to-eye.
“Is this about him?”
Aubrey knew he wasn’t talking about Jullian and she clenched the sheet. “Please Grant ... I don’t want to talk about him.”
His eyes darkened, a fury in them that she’d never seen. “That’s what it was about the first time wasn’t it? It didn’t have anything to do with your friends or that kid who broke up with you at school ... God, I was so stupid. I should have gotten you help then. I’m sorry, Aubrey, I hold the blame here.”
He stood then, with that same look in his eyes ... disappointment. She’d never felt more ashamed to be alive.
Chapter Eleven
Avalar
AISLINN
IMMEDIATELY
STOPPED
LAUGHING. “What’s wrong?”
Aubrey tried her voice but this time nothing came out except a harsh rasp.
Shocked, she patted her throat.
“Given!” Aislinn yelled. He lowered his shoulder for her to climb onto.
“You don’t look so good. You’re all red.” Lipsey touched his tiny cold nose to her skin and said, “Your cheek feels hot too.”
“Go on ahead Lips, find Given.
We’ll be behind you.” Aislinn waited until Aubrey was holding on tightly before he moved. She wanted to tell him that she could walk, but something told her the dizziness was only going to get worse. It wasn’t the Time Wraith’s doing, this was something else. Aislinn momentarily lost his footing, causing Aubrey to grab his fur tighter.
After half an hour of mucking through what looked like endless swamp, they finally came to a mild clearing where the fog wasn’t as thick. Given and Lipsey were waiting for them.
“She can’t talk.” Aislinn slowly lowered himself, allowing Aubrey to slide off.
Given pressed her hand to Aubrey’s forehead and frowned. “Her skin burns to the touch. Have you eaten anything odd?
You could just be exhausted; a wound like yours isn’t an ordinary wound.”
Aubrey protested, remembering the shot she’d been given by the madame. She tried to act it out but only got stunned silence in return.
“I don’t quite know what you’re trying to say.” Given looked away in thought, “Have you been given anything— a tonic, or drug?”
“The madame drugged her with nightshade,” Aislinn said, “but it has long since worn off, I can’t—”
Given grabbed his arm suddenly, cutting him off. “She’s taken nightshade?”
“I hardly think now is the time for piousness, especially considering—”
She cut him off again, “It’s poisonous to those from Aubrey’s world.”
“No, it isn’t. Besides, how could you possibly know anything about Aubrey’s world?” Aislinn snapped.
Lipsey answered before Given could, “The madame is from the land of no magic, Tabor said so.”
Given ignored Aislinn and leaned down to take Aubrey’s face in both of her hands. “I can’t heal your wounds, but I can take care of the nightshade. Close your eyes.”
“What are you doing to her?” Aislinn demanded.
“Nothing you wouldn’t do yourself if you were able. Aislinn, the nightshade will kill her long before the Time Wraith’s poison has had a chance to. Step back.”
Aubrey was about to push Aislinn away when warmth began to seep into the icy knot that was lodged in her middle.
Slowly, her heart rate returned to normal and the headache and dizziness passed.
Given stepped back, her eyes showing surprise and even stranger, sorrow.
“That was amazing! What else can you do? Can you be invisible?” Lipsey jumped into Aubrey’s lap and looked up at Given.
“I’m afraid I can’t, though there have been a great many times in my life when that would have been a very useful skill.”
Given
helped
Aubrey
stand,
her
expression still grave.
“I bet,” Aislinn grumbled.